UN Environment Assembly Key to a Safer, Resilient Planet

The United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) is the world’s highest-level decision-making body for matters related to the environment.

As geopolitical tensions escalate globally, one thing is clear: fragmented politics will not fix a fractured planet. This is why the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) — the world’s highest decision-making body on the environment — is critical to addressing shared and emerging environmental threats.

The seventh session of the Assembly, taking place next month at the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, will bring together ministers, intergovernmental organizations, multilateral environmental agreements, the broader UN system, civil society groups, scientists, activists, and the private sector to shape global environmental policy.

Recent UNEP data show emissions continue to rise as global environmental and climate impacts accelerate and grow more extreme. We see it in record heatwaves, disappearing ecosystems, and toxins in our air, water, and soil. These are global threats that demand global solutions.

Even in turbulent times, environmental multilateralism delivers results. Since UNEA last year, this approach has achieved important progress. Governments agreed to establish the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution — completing the “trifecta” of science bodies alongside the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The BBNJ Agreement on sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction also came into force, marking a major win for ocean governance.

During challenging political climates, the Paris Agreement continues to show progress. However, faster action with greater determination is needed. Positive change is under way: the global shift to low-emission, climate-resilient development is irreversible. Renewable energy is increasingly outcompeting fossil fuels, and climate-smart investments are driving vibrant economies and societies.

While COP30 did not explicitly commit to phasing out fossil fuels, the COP President pledged to develop two roadmaps during his tenure: one to halt and reverse deforestation, and another to transition away from fossil fuels — a move backed by over 80 countries.

These steps, while significant, are not enough to fully address the threats we face. Yet they reinforce that multilateralism can bring science and policy together to tackle global challenges.

Progress is rarely linear. Since UNEA’s historic 2022 resolution on a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution, negotiations have continued. While a full treaty text is not yet agreed, talks in Geneva earlier this year achieved hard-fought progress, keeping countries committed to ending plastic pollution.

This year, under the theme “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet,” UNEA will build on these successes to drive even greater progress. UNEP’s seventh Global Environmental Outlook report, released during UNEA, will inform how to move beyond diagnosing challenges to identifying practical solutions across five interconnected areas: economics and finance; circularity and waste; environment; energy; and food systems. Drawing on contributions from hundreds of experts worldwide, the report will help countries prioritize the most effective solutions to achieve global goals.

Delivering at the required speed and scale demands that the UN system acts together, with the full family of Multilateral Environmental Agreements supporting countries. UNEP hosts 17 conventions and panels covering the environmental spectrum, from toxic chemicals to ozone protection. Closer alignment of these agreements offers opportunities to better coordinate priorities.

UNEA will focus on ensuring these agreements work together to provide targeted support to countries implementing commitments. Climate action intersects with biodiversity, land management, chemicals, pollution, and waste — highlighting the need for integrated approaches.

Inaction now carries a greater cost than ever. At UNEA-7 in Nairobi — the environmental capital of the world — the “Nairobi Spirit” can transform shared challenges into shared action and, ultimately, shared prosperity on a safe, resilient planet.